OSCE/ODIHR does not comment on denying access to Russian voters in Ukraine

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has refused to comment on a decision of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry to deny access to Russian citizens being in Ukraine to polling stations for participation in the Russian presidential election, ODIHR spokesman Thomas Rymer has announced.

“Actually, a voting process in another country is regulated by bilateral agreements between the two countries. I know no international standards in the field. There are bilateral agreements on the voting procedure between countries, so we are not the organization that can comment on this,” he is quoted as saying by TASS (translated from Russian).

Earlier, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said that Russians living in Ukraine cannot be allowed to Russian diplomatic missions to vote at the presidential election. Extremist groups Svoboda, Right Sector, and National Corps made a joint statement saying they would not allow holding the Russian presidential election in the Ukrainian territory. They promised to block offices where the voting would be taking place and for Russian citizens that would come t vote would be met by “corridors of shame.” In Kiev, nationalists staged a rally in front of the Russian embassy.